Prayer
Chronicles 7:14
If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from Heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.
Who wants God to hear them? Forgive their sin? Heal their land?
“If my people”
1 Peter 1:18-19
For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, 19but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.
Romans 1:5-6
Through him and for his name’s sake, we received grace and apostleship to call people from among all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith. 6And you also are among those who are called to belong to Jesus Christ
Peter 2:9
But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.
In the Old Testament, the Israelites were God’s chosen people. The New Testament was reserved for believers.
“Humble themselves,” a definition:
- not proud or arrogant, modest
- having a feeling of inferiority
- to make meek
Luke 5:1-11
Fishers of men, when Simon Peter saw all the fish Jesus provided he fell at His feet in humility
Zephaniah 3:12
I will leave in your midst, a meek and humble people, and they shall trust in the name of the LORD.
“And pray and seek my face”
So what exactly is prayer?
The Parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector, Luke 18:9-14
Also He spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: 10 “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other men—extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.’ 13 And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’ 14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
Prayer changes us. It helps us see God’s will. IT is a time of communication with God. It’s a time in which we are seeking His guidance. We come humbly before Him to see the next step. We seek His encouragement for tough times. We seek Him for strength. We seek him for comfort. We seek Him to thank Him. We seek Him for help. We seek Him.
Malachi 3:3
He will sit as a refiner and a purifier of silver; He will purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer to the LORD an offering in righteousness.
Jesus wants, desires, depends, and needs to hear from you. Do you want desire, depend, and need to hear from Him? He tells us to be consumed and in constant communication with Him. Pray. Stop. Seek. Supplication.
Stop what you are doing.
Seek and wait upon the Lord.
Humbly pray.
Does God listen?
Exodus 22:23
When he cries out to me, I will hear, for I am compassionate.
Proverbs 15:29
The LORD is far from the wicked but he hears the prayer of the righteous.
Peter 3:12
For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.
How can He focus all is time on me?
Isaiah 55:8
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD.
Can I ever ask for too much? Can I ask for anything?
John 3:22-23
Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God and receive from him anything we ask, because we obey his commands and do what pleases Him.
Matthew 6:8
Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.
Psalm 119:57
You are my portion, O LORD; I have promised to obey your words.
Does God ever get tired/annoyed with prayer?
Isaiah 40:28
Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom.
Proverbs 15:8
The LORD detests the sacrifice of the wicked, but the prayer of the upright pleases him
What’s the best way to pray?
Mark 11:24-25
Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins
When should I pray? How long should I pray?
Thessalonians 5:17
Pray continuously
Where should I pray?
Matthew 6:5-6
“And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
What do I do when God doesn’t answer my prayer?
Daniel 3:17-18
If we are thrown into the blazing furncace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and He will rescue us from your hand, O king. But even if He does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.
Isaiah 55:8
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD
James 4:3
“When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures”
Philippians 4:6-7
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus”
John 5:14-15
This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us - whatever we ask - we know that we have what we asked of him”
God always responds to our prayers and supplications. There are three possibilities:
- He says yes and gives what we ask.
- He says no and does not give what we ask.
- He also says wait. To wait is the most difficult of His answers because it takes time, and we do not like to wait.
He loves us, and as our Father, He always wants the best for us. Give Him praise and thanksgiving for how He answers your prayers even if you do not like it!
How come I always get distracted when I pray?
Spiritual Warfare.
How much is actually happening when I pray?
Matthew 6:8
Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.
Luke 22:42
Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.”
John 5:14-15
This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.
“Turn from their wicked ways”
Repent. Then change. You read your Bible. So what? Do you apply it to your life? You go to church or Chi Alpha or small group. Big deal. The important part, the part that actually matters is whether or not you are applying it to your life. What do you do after we sing our last song? We close in prayer. Then what?
Integrity. What’s your integrity of faith?
XA should not be where your worship starts and stops. It should not be where prayer starts and stops. Why do you do what you do? What’s your goal? The importance of this is not to amuse you or entertain you. It’s to make God’s Word relevant in your life. Its to ignite the fire in your life.
“then will I hear from Heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land”
Psalms 18:6
In my distress I called upon the LORD, and cried out to my God; He heard my voice from His temple, and my cry came before Him, even to His ears.
Acts 13:38
“Therefore, my brothers, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you.
Chronicles 12:6-7
So the leaders of Israel and the king humbled themselves; and they said, “The LORD is righteous.” Now when the LORD saw that they humbled themselves, the word of the LORD came to Shemaiah, saying, “They have humbled themselves; therefore I will not destroy them, but I will grant them some deliverance. My wrath shall not be poured out on Jerusalem by the hand of Shishak